Chapter 7: Novice Adventurer — Part 2: Retribution for Stealing a Lover
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Warning: This content may contain explicit or mature themes and is intended for viewers 18 and older. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Volume 1: Witch Carly Arc
Chapter 7: Novice Adventurer
— Part 2: Retribution for Stealing a Lover
The next day, Aurelius, Magnolia, and the young man went to the dining hall for a late breakfast.
Two guards were already keeping watch.
"You're working hard, but you don't need to keep such a close eye on us. We're not going to run away."
Aurelius said this as he moved to take his seat. The guards seemed at ease.
"Or maybe you're just trying to lull us into a false sense of security so you can escape."
"What—?"
Startled, the guard moved closer.
"Oh my, are you going to attack us here? If so, then our duel is off. After all, it's you who are breaking the promise first."
"Hey, stop it."
One of the guards intervened, and the man who was about to reach out backed down.
"You're acting tough now, but you'll regret it later."
After throwing out these words, they sat near the entrance, keeping an eye on Aurelius and the others.
"Is it really okay to say things like that? Now we won't really be able to escape."
The young man was worried.
"It's fine. Aurelius is strong."
Magnolia replied.
After leisurely finishing their breakfast, they paid for another night's stay and left the inn as if they were going shopping. The guards followed closely behind, but Aurelius walked calmly and unhurriedly.
Magnolia was wearing leather armor with iron plates on her chest and shoulders, instead of her usual short yukata.
Then, taking a slight detour, she made her way to the square where the huge man was waiting.
"You managed not to run away. I'll commend you for your courage."
The huge man was seated in a chair. Beside him were two women leaning in close. One of them was the young man's childhood friend.
"You're really such an idiot. If you had just run away quickly, you might have avoided getting hurt.
Well, be careful not to die."
With that said, she leaned against the huge man.
"You, to that man—"
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's only natural for a woman to be attracted to a strong man."
"Such—"
The young man looked like he might kneel even before the fight started.
"I do agree with that. However, the real issue is whether you have the discernment."
Magnolia also spoke up.
"Then, does that mean Magnolia likes me because I'm strong?"
"Well, that's part of it. You're strong and kind, you help me, and you resemble the angel I admire. I guess that's why I like you, Aurelius.
Of course, I don't consider weaklings or other men at all."
For some reason, Magnolia also leaned against Aurelius.
"Hey, woman. Did you say Magnolia?
You said you like strong men. Are you telling the truth with those words?
What if I'm stronger?
If I win this duel, you'll become my woman.
Understood?"
"Not that it's ever going to happen."
"Is that so?
You are indeed strong. After all, you're a swordsman known for Lightning Attack."
"Hoh— Have you done some research?"
Magnolia's eyes narrowed, showing her anger.
"If you ask at the guild, they'll tell you.
You're certainly strong, but what about if it's three or even four people working together? Even someone like you might not win.
And even if the other person is strong, he can't handle five opponents.
So, we will win."
"That might be true in theory. But can four or five people fight at the same time?"
Aurelius pretended to be in disbelief.
"Well, you'll understand once you try. Complaining won't help. Let's get this duel started."
"True, but there are quite a few spectators. And who is the mediator?"
As Aurelius mentioned, there were over twenty people in the square.
"No, there are no spectators here.
This guy is the guild's mediator."
He pointed to an older man standing some distance away.
"And the rest are all members of my party.
Remember, I said it was okay for the members to join in, right?
Everyone here is a member of my party."
There were clearly more people than the number the young man had mentioned yesterday.
"Eh— w-wait, that's unfair. There were only nine people yesterday, but you brought so many?"
The young man protested in shock.
"Who said there were only nine members? That was just your assumption.
There are twenty-four in total. What will you do? If you offer up a woman and apologize while bowing, I might let you off with just a half-beating."
"I see, so you plan to win with numbers. Well, that's within my expectations.
Now, shall we begin?
Please give the signal to start."
As planned, three people, with Magnolia at the lead, lined up in a vertical formation.
The huge man also formed their own formation. Three heavily armored men stood at the front, five archers were positioned at a considerable distance, and three robed figures, likely mages, stood further back. In the center, there were two women close to the huge man. The two behind them were probably scouts waiting for a chance. The remaining eight were swordsmen, divided into two groups of four on either side.
A frontal assault would indeed be impossible. Charging in would get you stopped by the heavily armored men and attacked by the swordsmen from the sides. If you do nothing, you'll face arrows and magic from behind.
This wasn't just talk—it was a well-thought-out strategy. At least, it seemed that way.
The huge man was brimming with confidence, certain of his victory.
"Well then, shall we begin the duel? I'll leave the signal to you."
At the huge man's words, the middle-aged guild mediator turned to Aurelius.
"Are you really going to duel?
You might die, you know.
If you apologize now, he might forgive you."
"Hey-hey, the mediator shouldn't be muttering. Let's just get this started."
"Since you're saying that, shall we begin?"
As Aurelius spoke, the mediator finally seemed willing to give the signal.
"I understand. Then, I'll strike the bell three times. The duel begins on the third strike. Got it?"
The mediator brought out a gong.
"Here we go."
GWAaaaang, GWAaaaang—
The sound echoed twice. Then, at the same interval, the third strike rang out.
GWAaaaang—
At that moment, the five men behind simultaneously released their arrows.
In front, Magnolia swung her sword like she was dancing, knocking down three arrows. The remaining two missed.
Without time to catch her breath, the mage began chanting.
"O fire, scorching fire, be released from my hand, and burn everything with your explosive flames—"
It was the commonly used fireball spell. Simple, yet powerful enough not to be underestimated.
"Too slow."
Without waiting for the slow chant, Aurelius waved his hand and released a magic bullet.
The three mages were struck directly and collapsed before their spells could be completed.
"If you chant that slowly, you're wide open. At the very least, you should chant while moving."
"Don't be too hard on them. Even though they're called mages, they're probably just at the magician level."
Magnolia also just took a relaxed stance.
"N—Next."
At the huge man's signal, the archers readied their bows to fire again.
"I told you, being slow won't do."
Aurelius fired a magic bullet, but it flew high, missing the archer. Instead, it struck the bow, snapping the string.
"It would be troublesome if others used them."
The archer, who had been drawing the bowstring when it snapped, winced as it hit his hand. But that made him an easy target for Aurelius.
In the next instant, all five were struck by magic bullets and collapsed.
"Dealing with the three in front is troublesome."
"Well, should I take care of it?"
"I'm counting on you."
Magnolia dashed to the right. Aurelius proceeded calmly forward.
The three in front hesitated about what to do but, realizing they couldn't keep up with Magnolia's speed, they turned toward Aurelius.
They moved slowly, thrusting their swords. However, just a few steps away, they suddenly knelt, placing their hands on the ground and freezing in place.
"Even if your armor is heavy, moving that slowly is unacceptable. If you're going to move slowly, you need to hide your face. There are spells that control the mind through eye contact.
Your body must be too heavy to get up now."
As Aurelius passed by, all three fell and were unable to move.
Meanwhile, Magnolia continued to dodge effortlessly while dealing with the four opponents. Whenever Magnolia struck, the four were pushed back.
Normally, even Magnolia wouldn't be able to handle four opponents with ease. Three would be the limit.
However, Aurelius had cast three support spells on her—enhancing her speed, increasing her strength, and covering her body with a protective shield. Thanks to repeated training with these support spells, she could perform better than expected.
Even facing four opponents, she handled them effortlessly.
Then, another one, a scout with a dagger joined the fray.
Despite this, Magnolia continued to handle them without any issues.
On Aurelius' side, four swordsmen approached. Two charged directly, and he intercepted them with a glowing net. Seeing this, the other two, who had hesitated, were also enveloped by the net and paralyzed. They might suffer some injuries and pain, but that should be the extent of it.
Taking advantage of the distraction, a scout behind the swordsmen swung a dagger.
"Good aim, but it's pointless if you don't hide your killing intent."
Aurelius smoothly evaded the attack, grabbed the scout's right hand, held the scout's forehead with one hand, hooked his foot behind the scout, and pushed him to the ground.
The scout hit the ground hard and lost consciousness.
"I've finished here. Should I come help you?"
"No, I was just waiting for you to be done. I'll finish up quickly."
As soon as Magnolia went on the offensive, she defeated all five opponents in no time.
With this, only the huge man and the two women around him are left.
"Let's start with one of them."
As Aurelius glared, one of the women lost consciousness and collapsed.
"Oops, I thought she'd be able to hold up since she knows the magic coming."
"Well, that's about all they're capable of. It seems she haven't trained much."
"Even so, she's far too weak."
In front of the huge man, Aurelius and Magnolia spoke calmly.
"Damn it."
The large man swung at Magnolia, who easily parried the attack with her sword. Magnolia then swung her sword again, and although the large man tried to block it, he was knocked away due to his lack of strength.
This effectively decided the outcome.
"It's unfair. Are you saying three of you will fight me who no longer had a weapon, me—just one person?"
"You're the one making that claim?"
Magnolia raised an eyebrow in disbelief as she held her sword.
"Are you saying that after attempting to fight us three with twenty-four people? I didn't kill the others, but it seems better to just behead you now."
"Well, Magnolia, I understand his point.
How about this—from now on, we fight one by one, in turn.
He'll go first. What do you think?"
Aurelius picked up the huge man's sword.
"If you prefer that, then it's fine with me."
"Then I'll return this sword to you."
Aurelius lightly tossed the sword to the huge man, who caught it and took his stance.
"Eh, am I the one fighting?"
"Of course. This is a duel you agreed to, so you must be the one to settle it."
"But I definitely can't win."
"You never know. Battles are unpredictable, so with some effort, you might just make it.
Now, your opponent is waiting."
Aurelius nudged the young man forward.
The huge man was pleased with the unexpectedly favorable terms and accepted eagerly. He realized he couldn't win against Magnolia, so he planned to defeat the young man and escape with him as a hostage.
Aurelius could read his intentions from his expression but did not stop the young man from fighting.
"Shit, geez, whatever happens, happens."
The young man raised his sword and charged at the huge man.
"Do you think you can defeat me with that sword?"
The huge man caught the young man's sword, deflected it, and aimed to capture him by pressing the sword against his neck.
Clinnnk, Clang,
However, the huge man's sword broke at the base.
"Eh—?"
Both of them stared at each other in shock.
"Now's the chance."
"Y-Yes."
Following Aurelius's words, the young man raised his sword.
"W-Wait. Just hold on—
It's you, isn't it? You tampered with my sword—"
Before the huge man could finish, the young man's sword came down and struck his shoulder.
"Gahhh—!"
The huge man fell to the ground, losing consciousness from the pain.
"Aurelius-san, why did you return the sword broken?
Did you think it would be difficult for me to handle with just my bare hands?"
"No, that's not it. He wasn't using just his bare hands either.
Right, Magnolia?"
"Umm, I also have three spare weapons in my storage box. He must have had one too."
"So I returned his greatsword. Besides, I tend to use the weapon I'm most familiar with.
But there was still a chance for him to win. If the greatsword broke, he should have taken out a spare weapon before making excuses."
"Well, it just shows what kind of adventurer he is."
Magnolia still hadn't sheathed her sword. The duel wasn't over yet.
Only one opponent was left who could still fight properly, so it wasn't over yet.
"Eh, wait, why, after saying you would protect me, are you losing to someone like this?"
It was only the young man's childhood friend who spoke.
"Wait, that's not it, that's not it.
I didn't want to fight a duel. But he decided it on his own, so I had no choice.
I don't care about someone like him.
The truth is, I liked you.
What I said yesterday was because I was threatened and had no choice.
Please believe me.
You like me too, don't you?
So please, put away your sword. If you do—"
His childhood friend spread her arms towards the young man, not intending to fight.
"Hey, please. You'll believe me, won't you?
I'm saying it's okay.
Please, believe me."
"Is that so? If you say so, I'll believe you."
The young man sheathed his sword and approached his childhood friend.
"After all, someone you know well is the best. From now on, the two of us will be adventurers—
UGHoh—"
Before she could finish, the young man lunged with all his strength, and his fist drove into his childhood friend's stomach.
"I made sure not to hit your face since you're a girl.
I know you lie easily, so I can believe that."
"Cough, cough, why—"
Caught off guard and taking a solid punch, his childhood friend could only roll around helplessly.
"It looks like the matter has been settled.
Is it alright to consider the duel finished now?"
The guild mediator, who had been taken aback by Aurelius's statement, quickly replied.
"U-Umm, there were some minor unfairnesses, but there is no doubt that you won the duel. There was no dishonesty on your part. I can assure you of that."
"Then please handle the aftermath."
"Since there are no life-threatening injuries, we're relieved. We will bill the treatment costs to the individuals themselves, so you don't need to worry about it. We will also collect the reward, but it will be done tomorrow—does that work for you?"
"That's fine."
With the twenty-four fallen behind them, Aurelius and the other three left the square.
It was approaching noon, but since they had worked up a sweat, they wanted to clean up. So, the two men went to the town's public bath, while Magnolia returned to the inn and washed off the sweat with a cleansing board.
They entered a promising-looking restaurant for a late lunch.
"You're really strong, both of you.
I didn't expect you to defeat more than twenty people."
The young man spoke excitedly while drinking ale.
"I mentioned that Aurelius is stronger than I am. If it were just me, I'd have struggled even against five people."
"But Magnolia-san seemed to fight effortlessly as well.
I want to become as strong as that."
"You can get stronger with training and experience.
By the way, will you keep being an adventurer, or will you go back to your village and work the fields?"
When Aurelius asked, the young man took another sip of beer before responding.
"I've been unsure since yesterday.
I think it might be better to give up since I'm not strong enough, but I also don't want to disappoint the village's expectations. Seeing Aurelius-san's strength, I feel like I might become strong if I really try."
"No, Aurelius is exceptional. He's probably among the top five, or maybe even the top three."
Magnolia's comment seemed to shock the young man.
"Eh, is he at least the fifth strongest in the Exley Kingdom?"
"No, on this continent."
Magnolia added with a final remark.
"Yes, there are many who are stronger than I am.
Having traveled across the continent, I can say that only two people come to mind who might be stronger than Aurelius. Even if there are others we don't know, they wouldn't be ranked lower than fifth.
So, you should reconsider aiming for Aurelius."
"I see, it really does seem impossible."
The young man appeared disheartened.
"But if you truly want to become strong, I could train you. Since We'll be leaving this town tomorrow, today is your only chance.
Even from what I've seen, your sword stance is off."
"Please, I would be grateful."
After finishing his remaining beer, the young man quickly wrapped up his meal.
Magnolia borrowed the square behind the guild and taught the young man how to use a sword.
First, she had him take a stance with the sword. Even that had some flaws, so she pointed them out. Then, she made him practice swinging the sword and corrected his movements. She repeated this process with several different stances.
Meanwhile, Aurelius did some light exercise in the square before settling down to read a book.
Finally, after the two of them took a lap around the town, Magnolia said,
"Do ten laps. You've got nine more to go."
"Ehhh? No way."
"Stop complaining and run."
"Yes, ma'am."
Scolded by Magnolia, the young man started running.
"Magnolia, do you think he'll be any good?"
"Who knows? It depends on how much effort he puts in from now on."
"That's good to hear. If he works hard, he can get stronger.
By the way, about what we talked about last night, we'll discuss it later. Are you okay with that, Magnolia?"
"Not that I have a choice, but are we doing it in the same room? I don't want you to see me."
Magnolia's face turned red. She was probably embarrassed. Still, the fact that she wasn't completely refusing must mean that she felt even more after being seen last time.
"If that's the case, you can keep your clothes on.
You can wear the indoor cloak I made earlier. If you wear that, only your face will be visible."
Magnolia's eyes widened.
"So, you're really going to use that cloak.
Honestly, what are you thinking?"
"A way to spend more time with you, Magnolia."
Without a trace of shame, Aurelius said it calmly.
As they were talking, the young man, who had just finished his ten laps, came stumbling back.
"Oh, I-I'm done."
"Alright! Good job.
From tomorrow on, continue doing this on your own. Practice five types of swings, a hundred times each, then run ten laps around the town. If you keep this up, you'll definitely get stronger. If you slack off, you'll get weaker."
Magnolia, who had changed from her leather armor into her usual short yukata, helped the collapsed young man to his feet. Exhausted and too weak to sit up, the young man ended up leaning on Magnolia, with his head resting against her chest. Of course, Magnolia knew this would happen.
"Y-Yes. I understand."
"You must be exhausted today. Here's a tonic to help you recover. Drink it."
The young man drank the bottle of medicine that Magnolia handed him. It was a recovery potion made by Aurelius, diluted to one-eighth its usual strength. It had been proven to relieve fatigue and restore stamina.
"Now, once you're feeling better, wash off your sweat, and then let's have dinner.
You've worked hard, so why don't we go to the bathhouse together?"
Aurelius led the now-energized young man to the bathhouse.
This town had a bathhouse as well, though it was a mixed-gender steam bath.